1952 – Ski Sweaters to Knit

This posting for handmade ski sweaters from the November 1952 edition of Today’s Woman magazine comes with a sweet memory. When I saw the harlequin plaid sweater in the picture above, my thoughts lead me to the late seventies when I was a college student home for Christmas break. For some reason, I was looking in my dad’s closet when I noticed an old wool ski sweater. It was beautifully vintage and I knew I had to have it. Without asking, I grabbed the sweater and put it in my suitcase. I wore that sweater all winter and enjoyed the warmth of the sweater and the compliments that I got when I wore it. Fast forward to the nineties when I was scanning old family photographs for a birthday celebration and found this photo of my dad wearing the sweater. The year would have been about 1952.

Fast forward to a few years ago when my dad was ninety. He was always cold, so I bought him an expensive LL Bean wool cardigan for Christmas. He loved that sweater and wore it constantly. Then came another sweater deception. Among my father’s many qualities was devotion and thriftiness. As a JC Penney retiree, he only shopped at JC Penney’s. So when he asked where I bought it, I told him I bought it at his favorite store for $40.

Since this blog is about content from 1950’s women’s magazines, and not about lying to parents, let’s move on to that November 1952 Today’s Woman article about ski sweaters.

The article was titled Outdoor Sweaters to Knit for a Man and included this tagline “

Six new ways to give your husband a handsome present that’s easy to make

Like the knit women’s sweaters we looked at last, the reader was instructed to write for the pattern.

Directions for each sweater cost 10 cents. Order by number. Service Dept., Today’s Woman, Greenwich, Conn.

Here are there descriptions.

Red on blue is especially good when the red forms a bold V on the front of a blue stockinette stitch sweater. Wool costs about $8.25

White and dark blue form a striking diamond pattern on shoulders and sleeves. $18 to knit.

Left: Green and yellow on a gray sweater with unusual sleeve treatment. Make it for $12.50

Right: Gray and yellow v necked sweater has a patterned front and plain back. $9 to make.

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Here’s one more family picture I want to share. It too is circa about 1952. No sweater here, but the 2 friends are obviously dressed for skiing. Note the matching thin white belts.